News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Tianjin residents want answers and compensation

Protests have erupted in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, as relatives of the victims and those made homeless in last week´s deadly explosions demanded answers and compensation from the government. The death toll now stands at 114. More than 700 people were injured and 70 are still missing, most of them fire fighters. Residents say chemical storage warehouses had been built illegally close to their homes.

Controversial new anti-terror laws in Egypt

The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has approved new anti-terrorism laws to help combat the country´s Islamist insurgency. Trials for suspected militants will be fast-tracked through special courts. The legislation also gives greater protection to the military and police in carrying out their duties. Forming or leading a group deemed a "terrorist entity" by the government will be punishable by death or life in prison, while journalists can be fined at least $25,000 for contradicting official accounts of militant attacks. Rights groups say the legislation will be used to crush dissent. Atef Abdel Gawad is a Washington-based Middle East journalist: "Egypt does need an anti-terror law but that law should be targeting real terrorists and not journalists. And even while targeting terrorists, the law should have a time frame. But this law basically runs for ever."

Iraq´s Maliki blamed for fall of Mosul

An Iraqi parliamentary committee of investigation has found that the former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other officials were to blame for allowing the Islamic State group to overrun Mosul last year, and has called for them to face trial. The committee implicated 36 officials in the loss of the country's second city.

Merkel calls for common EU asylum policy

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that the European Union needs to develop a common policy to help deal with the current influx of people seeking asylum. Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF, Merkel also proposed extending the list of so-called safe countries of origin to help discourage economic migrants from Balkan countries.

Search for missing Indonesian passenger plane

Indonesian search and rescue teams are heading to a remote, mountainous part of the western Papua region where a plane is believed to have crashed on Sunday. The Trigana Air flight was carrying 49 passengers and five crew when it lost contact.

Protesters demand Rousseff´s impeachment

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in protests across Brazil calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. Many Brazilians have accused her of failing to stamp out corruption and blame her for the country´s worst economic slump in 25 years.

The weather

Cooler with rain in the west and the north east. Highs today from 16 to 24.

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